Cossack

have non-shooters remorse? Several days ago I passed on a couple of 8 pointers. They looked good but I had seen them before and they are just teenagers. Last year they were 6's. One had a nasty wound on his shoulder. It's healed now but no hair. His brother was lighter colored last year and a bit less mass. They are about equal this year but still only 2.5 yrs old at most.
But then this 10 pointer appears. Nice wide spread but just a baby too. He was in my LumiZone at ten yards. Ten!! But I let him walk. Now I'm wondering.
Seems one of our guys shot his daddy last year during rifle season. Very nice 10 pointer that scored 168 and had a dual brow tine just like the one I passed on.
Knowing how good he will look next year (if he survives gun season) makes it all worth while.
And I had a bonus. Twenty one turkeys trapsed under my stand. The 'guard hens' ever on the watch; while the polts chased grasshoppers. And a sharp shinned hawk took a downey woodpecker off my tree while I watched some spikes spar. Like the saying goes, it don't get any better.

awshucks

Kudo's on letting them walk! There's always tomorrow. I'm a semi-disabled meat hunter, so my standards vary some. Got one good stand in a "doe alley", don't see many bucks there, too open.

smokepolehall

Yup i have regrets about not shooting, like i am about that small meat Doe i just let walk. I think if she shows up again i will shoot her!

shewe

sounds like you had a great hunt. it depends.....sometimes i'm hunting a particular deer. sometimes i'm looking to put venison in the freezer. sometimes i simply enjoy the hunt. some of the most memorable days in the woods nary a shot was fired. that's the beauty of our sport.....just enjoying the the hunt.

scpatterson

I havent really had a chance to let anything walk yet. I killed two does in my life and both were many moons ago. This is the first year that I have really gotten serious about deer hunting. I have always hunted small game and just couldnt find a good spot to deer hunt. That has all change dthis year. I have gotten in on a awesome lease with some really good people that are there for the hunt. We have a good management program going on and I expect to be in that situation soon. Good Luck

Hotburn76

Last year was my first year with my Cuddeback camera and it kinda messed me up. I am wanting to get something nice, better then eight, 150" or better range. I had pics of a real nice main frame nine pointer, his G4 on the left side never grew, and he had two kicker points also. Well I passed on some nice eights several times in hopes of getting the nice nine. Never happened. Only seen the deer on a hunt once and that was with my nephew on the youth gun hunt! But he never came close for a shot. I had remorse at the end of the season real bad!